DBA 3.0 armies, projects and campaigns set in the ancient, medieval and fantasy periods.

Friday, 19 May 2017

Migration to Kingdom – Sub Roman Britain

Using a standard
playing card deck of 52 cards, each suite is assigned to a barbarian (Pict,
Scots-Irish and Saxon) and the fourth suite is a rival Romano-Briton or
warlord. The value on the card determines the month and year of battle while
any face card can influence the political or military situation. The random
generated system for dating these encounters would make this campaign set
useful for conflicts covering longer time periods, such as the Suevi conquest
of Hispania or the Vandal invasion of Africa. This would also allow actual
historical events to be used within the context of the game.

As part of the
test both sides would start with six elements representing the army’s core
strength and this number will be augmented by casting a die. The score not only
serves for adding extra troops, but also determines on which ground battle is to be
fought on, the majority being arable with a lesser chance of this becoming hilly, forest or littoral.

Testing the rules.

414 AD

In late spring,
a Pictish army cross the frontier and reached the interior of Maxima Caesariensis
near Eboracum (York). Both sides were of equal strength, but the Picts seemed
up for battle as their taunting shouts could be heard clearly from across the
field.

Pictish archers surprised
and bested the limitanei holding the wood. Despite the onslaught, the
legionnaires supported by limitanei did push back a column of spearmen and
chariots. Unfortunately, a second column broke through unsettling the Roman
commander enough to call a retreat. Score 3 – 0 for the Picts.

417 AD

A raiding party
of Scots-Irish land on the shores of Britannia Secunda and threaten Uriconium
(Wroxeter).

A large force (12
elements) was assembled to meet the Scots, but with the imminent threat of a Pictish
invasion this was reduced. As fate would have it, the Romano-Britain force
slightly outnumbered the Scots, but as the armies met in the hill country of
the Ordovices, that advantage was lost.

The battle
lasted hours with the Scots simply wearing the Roman strength to a breaking
point. Too exhausted to pursue, the Scots held the field with a 3 – 1 victory.

422 AD

The Scots
gathered a second invading force and reached the British shore in May. Marching
inland and plundering the countryside they met a near equal sized force outside
Mancunium (Manchester).

Having long heard the
tales of the previous expedition, these Scots-Irish were eager to better their
brethren. With the Scots warriors forming the centre and chariots protecting
their flank. The Scots-Irish surged forward, half recoiled from the Romano shield
wall, but the other half broke through crumbling Roman resistance. Score 4 – 2 for
the Scots-Irish.

429 AD

The situation
was quickly becoming grim when news came of a Saxon invasion of Flavia Caesariensis.
With disastrous events in the north and west a small force was sent to meet the
Saxons at a spot between Camboricum (Cambridge) and Camulodunum (Colchester).

July was
unseasonably warm and hopefully the Roman commander had planned to catch the
enemy in a fatigued state. Those plans however quickly dissipated as he viewed the
enemy lines (the Romano-Britain assembled 6 elements to meet the Saxon 10).

Forming two
wings, the shield wall on the right, the mobile force on the left, and the
Roman commander would use his mobility to out manoeuvre the Saxon horde. An excellent plan, however this
failed as a unit of equites suffered horribly to Saxon skirmishers and luckily
the equites Dalmatae in a support role narrowly escaped a similar fate.

By now, both
sides were committed to a serious test of will and the Romano-Britain struck
first. The shield wall held with the exception of the extreme right flank, but
the timely attack by the equites decided the day. Score 4 – 2 for the Romano-Britain.